Enthusiasts get up steam for miniature railway’s open day

Scale replicas of some of the most famous locomotives to come out of the UK have been running along the tracks at West Riding Small Locomotive Society, in Tingley, Leeds, since the site was bought for a penny in 1945.

Decades on, the track is still a haven for railway enthusiasts, with 20 engines regularly run by the society’s 57 members for birthday parties and even weddings, and this weekend it will host its annual open event, from 10am to 5pm each day.

Club secretary Stuart Merton, who lived near the track as a child, joined the society 20 years ago, aiming to build his daughter an engine, but by the time it was finished 14 years later she had grown up.

The 65-year-old, from Morley, said: “I’ve always had a love of steam engines and it’s given me the opportunity to own my own – albeit a little one.”

This weekend’s event will feature a marquee, tombola, displays and a cafe, while trains run throughout. Entry costs £2.50.

More details have been posted online – at www.wrsls.co.uk.